As the world continues to get more complex, careers are becoming more specialized and require professionals to get continuing education credits to remain in good standing. This is especially true for fields that today's changing environments affect most. Knowing your field's stance on continuing your education is important for keeping yourself ahead. You'll also need to know how you should go about continuing your education, whether the company will pay or if you are responsible and whether your employer offers trainings.
Almost any field of study that takes a great deal of schooling to become a recognized member of will require continuing education. Engineers, nurses and doctors, respiratory therapists, quality managers, and many others all are expected to maintain a level of education consistent with the field of knowledge. The reason behind this is to have professionals who have not only maintained but also developed and learned new techniques and skill sets. This is critical in much of the complex business world.
For quality engineers and managers, continued education is necessary to focus on competence and techniques that not only allow for the development of the lowest cost products but also understand the trade-offs between cost and quality.
CPA's or certified public accountants, need to keep up with the latest laws and be up to date with many of the sometimes arcane accounting principles. Teachers and nurses are two other professions that require continuing education to remain active in the profession.
Typically continuing education translates into a certain number of course credit hours for every so many years. These additional education credits are sometimes mandatory when renewing government controlled certifications like a teaching certificate. Although some groups do not make the ongoing educational process mandatory, almost all provide an opportunity to obtain the educational credits through sponsored classes, seminars, and online computer-based trainings (CBTs).
In order to stay professional and remain in good standing with many of the recognized professional organizations, ongoing education is critical. The small investment in additional training can go a long way to keeping skills fresh and increasing the competence level of any professional.